Aarey Wah! Mumbai’s Green Space Saved; Metro Car Shed Shifted To Kanjurmarg

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October 11, 2020

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray gave Mumbaikars breathable news on Sunday while addressing the state virtually he said that the 800 acres of the land Metro car shed project which was earlier planned in Aarey will now be shifted to Kanjurmarg. Aarey was a bitter row during September and October in the year 2019 between environmental activists and the then BJP-ruled Maharashtra government, which wanted to cut down 2,700 trees to build a car shed for the Metro project.

According to Thackeray, this car shed will be used for both Metro-3 and Metro-6 and the government has decided to sanction the land free of cost for the development of the metro car shed. The CM also ensured that the money spent on the car shed in Aarey will not be wasted in any way, and the departments will look at using the construction is a wise manner.

Earlier it was announced that nearly 600 acres of Aarey land as forest however now it has been revised to 800 acres. There will be no infringement on the rights of tribals in the Aarey forest.

“There will be no infringement on the rights of tribals in the Aarey forest. The state cabinet has decided to withdraw the cases against people who had protested against the hacking of trees in Aarey colony last year,” Thackeray said.

“Biodiversity in Aarey needs to be conserved and protected. Nowhere is there an 800-acre jungle in an urban setup. Mumbai has a natural forest cover,” added Thackeray.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/E8qhmRTulz

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) October 11, 2020

The past several reports also suggested that Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd officials had expressed apprehension that the Metro Line 3 project may be delayed by three years and its cost may go up by over Rs 2,000 crore if the car shed for the line was shifted from Aarey Colony.

Reportedly, Thackeray ordered a stay on construction of the car shed (on cleared land) in one of his first decisions as chief minister.

BJP subdued on Republic’s TRP scam? Republic TV to file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai police commissioner

By

Afternoon Voice

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October 11, 2020

The Mumbai police crime branch, which unearthed the TRP racket, So far Arnab racketed Sushant Singh Rajput’s death with all sorts of false claims. His channels Republic Bharat was mouthpiece and prime campaigner of Bihar elections. When TRP scam came come, the channel lost its credibility over night. The Mumbai police claimed to have busted a Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation racket. The TRP is a tool to judge which TV programmes are viewed the most as it also indicates viewers’ choice to show the popularity of a particular channel. The Mumbai police crime branch, which unearthed the TRP racket, also arrested two persons, owners of two Marathi channels, for manipulating the viewership ratings. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said that the Republic TV channel is also involved in the TRP racket and those responsible will be arrested, be it a director, promoter, or any other employee of the channel. Of late, Republic TV has become the number one channel in the country, and this happened because of its highest TRP among the news channels. The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) welcomed the Mumbai Police investigation on fake TRP and said that it is committed to reporting a true picture of television viewership.

“Republic TV will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. There is not a single BARC report that mentions Republic TV. The people of India know the truth. Singh’s investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case is under a cloud and this is a desperate measure because of Republic TV’s reportage on Palghar, Sushant Singh Rajput case or any other case,” Goswami said in a statement. “This kind of targeting only strengthens the resolve of everyone at Republic TV to push for the truth even harder. Param Bir Singh stands completely exposed today, since BARC has not mentioned Republic in any single complaint. He should issue an official apology and get ready to face us in court,” he added.

Also read: Journalism died in TRP race

Union minister Prakash Javadekar said “The government believes in press freedom but showing “provocative news” for the sake of TRP is not journalism and it must stop, he said after paid news and fake news, this is the era of “TRP journalism”. “There used to be paid news, fake news and now there is TRP journalism. The unnecessary burden of TRP must be stopped by the media. Someday they will have to improve themselves,” the minister said.
A BARC India spokesperson said, “As in all our previous cases of suspected panel homes intrusions, BARC India continues to follow its established vigilance and disciplinary guidelines… BARC India appreciates the efforts of the Mumbai Police and will provide the support asked of it.” It further said that it remains “steadfastly true” to its purpose to accurately and faithfully report “what India watches”.

Meanwhile, Arnab Goswami, managing director and editor-in-chief of Republic Media Network, said Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has made false allegations against Republic TV because we have questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation.

About 200 million families in India watch the news on TV channels while 100 crore people in our country keep them updated through their smartphones. But the expose of the TRP racket has, no doubt, shaken the faith of crore of people. This racket is similar to gaining fake followers and fake likes on social media. You might have noticed that the news anchor of almost every news channel describes them as number one. The TRP is an intrinsic part of this race to remain at number one because high TRP fetches more ads, which ultimately make a channel successful. The news channel, which has been accused of manipulating TRP, is a Free To Air channel. For watching this channel, you need to pay a subscription fee. You should always keep in mind that when you do not pay money for a product, then you yourself become a product. Your likes and dislikes are auctioned and you are forced to watch one-sided news. On the contrary, Zee News is a paid channel. We also get advertisements, but our advertisements scale is not solely based on the TRP but also on the trust of our viewers. The rate of ads running on that channel is decided on how long a TV channel is watched by the audience.

Also read: Mumbai Police bust TRP racket; Republic TV among 2 other regional channels to be probed

This is the reason that every TV channel is vying to become number-1. The new system was introduced in the year 2010 to find out what number a particular channel stood in the TRP. Since the credibility of the company which earlier released the TRP was under the scanner, the news agency was created under the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The new agency, Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), consists of representatives from channels and Advertisers. It is the world’s largest TRP measuring agency.

The BARC has installed 44,000 barometers across the country to assess the ratings of channels. Of these 44,000 houses, where these barometers are engaged, nearly 1.80 lakh members reside. In a population of 135 crore people, the sample size is merely 0.1 percent or just one man out of 7500. Whatever programmes these 1.80 lakh people watch on the channels become a standard for all the channels to follow. Perhaps, this is the reason that every channel starts showing similar programmes many times. For every channel, TRP is a compulsion as it determines the rate of advertisements. The higher the rating of the channel, the more advertisements it gets. This is why some channels have tried to manipulate this system. When the TRP system started, it did not intend to measure the popularity of a channel among viewers but was established for advertisers. Currently, more than 400 news channels are running across the country. The news shown on these TV channels tries to gain from the current advertisement market of Rs 3,640 crores, while the total advertising market for TV is around Rs 32,000 crores.

Journalism died in TRP race

By

Vaidehi Taman

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October 9, 2020

There is a huge transformation between the Arnab of Times Now and the Arnab of Republic TV. Prior to the launch of Republic TV, Arnab mentioned that he’s building a world class news & media channel that will be an answer to the likes of BBC, etc. Admit it or not, now when I look at his journalism, I somewhere start feeling that Journalism is dying. There is an element of personal animosity here. Goswami was never been accepted by “those-who-matter”. He has turned this feeling of rejection into a national agenda. His misplaced nationalism can verge on the comical. Once he got after a Caucasian doctor because a super-bug had been named New Delhi. Goswami argued with irate logic, and was racist. The doctor explained that it was medical precedent to name a bug after the place where it originated — that there was no agenda. Goswami kept shouting at him until the man got up and left. At these moments, one feels that there is a genuine loss of control that Goswami is susceptible to while on air. He is tricked by his own act, over and over again.

The first look at Goswami’s channel, Republic TV, reminded me of RussiaToday, the Kremlin-backed state propaganda channel that pretends not to be one. In fact, it’s worse. Republic TV doesn’t have Russian flags waving in every frame. The ads on Republic did. One begins to wonder about the ethics of using the national flag to push what is ultimately a big business venture, streaming live on Hotstar to millions of subscribers. This is about money and profits, not the nation. Republic harnesses a national symbol, which belongs to everyone, and yokes it to its personal end of profitability. In the commercials for Republic, the viewer is talked down to. There’s nothing about how the news delivery will be different, only a set of exhortations to the citizens.

Also read: Mumbai Police bust TRP racket; Republic TV among 2 other regional channels to be probed

Arnab Goswami has intellectual diarrhea; he has a huge stock of knowledge restricted by Propaganda. By the way he is running a business, so making profit is the primary motive. Sadly, we Indians love to hate, hate Pakistanis, hate liberals and hate anyone who raises voices of opposition.

Republic TV is one channel that was launched with a great buzz to propagate this hate. It is owned by Rajeev Chandrashekhar who is a BJP MP. For Rajeev Chandrashekar and Arnab, the BJP and its agenda are priority, attacking all those entities who disagree to their agendas and attacking opposition is the main motive of the channel. They never discuss national issues like inflation, unemployment, rape, murders, school fees hike or the burning issues of ground reality. It is much famous for debates where nothing seems to be rational and comprehensive. It is currently the top news channel in India but needs to offer better content. It is a totally biased channel which hides the lacunas of the ruling Government.

There are many such channels like Zee News, ABP News, Aaj tak that aids the Modi Government. But when TRP got exposed all those media houses directly attacked Arnab. Most of the English news channel viewers have the privilege of internet & other social media at their fingertips, to access the content around the world. So, I would like to see news channels bringing out different stories that are not just about political scams, tapes as sensational stories.

During his stint in Times Now, Arnab had risen to become one of the most powerful opinion-makers in the country. His power came from the extremely successful image he had managed to create among his audience – a fearless, patriotic journalist of unshakable moral convictions. A journalist who rose above the fray of party politics and was ready to take on anyone. The urban Indian middle class – his audience- loved him as their vigilante hero. First, there is the noticeable change in his persona. I don’t know if this is closer to his true personality or he thought even more loudness would sell more, but he now appears far more over-the-top than before.

Secondly, in Times Now he took (or was made to take) pains to appear to be above party politics. But after launching a channel largely owned by a BJP MP and refusing to address the issue, he has all but declared his support to BJP. Even many of those sympathetic to the party don’t like an entirely one-sided journalist. Republic reporters promoting bully journalism by, it must be Arnab who has been promoting this toxic brand of bully journalism. All of this is chipping away at the image of an honest Arnab had built so successfully in Times Now, at least for those who pay attention. His real face is emerging. It is that of a dishonest, unethical person who puts on a show for his audience and promotes a culture of bullying. He is everything an anchor is not supposed to be – he comes with his own notion of which speaker is going to be the favored speaker of the day. He started new trends in journalism that are dangerous. Well we know, for every channel, TRP is a compulsion as it determines the rate of advertisements. The higher the rating of the channel, the more advertisements it gets. This is why some channels have tried to manipulate this system. When the TRP system started, it did not intend to measure the popularity of a channel among viewers but was established for advertisers. To gain TRP and remain number one in the race, he did a TRP scam.

Also read: Freedom of speech is most abused freedom in recent times, observes SC while hearing Tablighi Jamaat case

BARC installed “BAR-O-meters” in over 45,000 empaneled households. These households were classified into 12 categories under the New Consumer Classification System (NCCS), the so-called “new SEC” adopted by BARC in 2015, based on the education level of the main wage earner and the ownership of consumer durables from a list of 11 items ranging from an electricity connection to a car.

While watching a show, members of the household register their presence by pressing their viewer ID button — every person in the household has a separate ID — thus capturing the duration for which the channel was watched and by whom, and providing data on viewership habits across age and socio-economic groups. The panel chosen to capture TRPs must be representative of the country’s population, and the methodology must be economically viable for the industry.

Pune police nab five with 20 kg Meow Meow worth Rs 20 crore in Pimpri-Chinchwad area

By

Afternoon Voice

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October 9, 2020

In a major drug bust, Pimpri-Chinchwad Police arrested five persons and seized a 20-kg consignment of Mephedrone, a banned drug also known as Meow Meow, worth Rs 20 crore from their possession, near Chakan in Pune district, a police official said on Friday.

According to Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner, Krishna Prakash, the seizure was made on Wednesday afternoon after receiving a tip-off that some persons were coming to Chakan with a consignment of the drug.

“Our officers received a tip-off about a consignment of a drug being brought via a specific route, along with some information about the car. When the police team intercepted the car near Shel Pimpalgaon village on Chakan Shikrapur Road, they recovered packets of a white substance, which turned out to be mephedrone,” Prakash said.

The arrested persons have been identified as Chetan Fakkad Dandawate, Sanjeevkumar Bansi Raut, Anandgir Gosavi, Akshay Kale, and Tausif Hasan Mohammad Taslim.

All five were produced before a court and they have been remanded to police custody for 10 days. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been filed against the five persons.

Jharkhand HC grants bail to Lalu Yadav in Chaibasa Treasury case, but to remain in jail in another case

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Afternoon Voice

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October 9, 2020

lalu, lalu prasad yadav, fodder scam, bihar, cm, former chief minister, lalu yadav, Chaibasa Treasury case — Image Courtesy: PTI

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Friday granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in connection with the Chaibasa Treasury case related to the fodder scam. However, Yadav will remain in jail since the Dumka treasury case is still pending.

Yadav was earlier shifted to the residence of the director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital, where he had been admitted for months owing to poor health, to prevent exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

Also Read: Mumbai Police bust TRP racket; Republic TV among 2 other regional channels to be probed

Yadav, who has been in prison since December 2017, was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in 2018 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and seven years under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with the fodder scam case.

Notably, both the sentences are being served consecutively. The case pertains to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.5 crore from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996 when Yadav served as the State’s Chief Minister.

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged amid high inflation

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Afternoon Voice

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October 9, 2020

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday kept the key repo rate unchanged at 4 percent in view of rising inflation and faint signs of economic growth amid the gradual lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) countrywide lockdown.

The central bank’s newly-constituted monetary policy committee (MPC) began its three-day meeting on October 7 and maintained the stance as accommodative. It also kept the reverse repo rate unchanged at 3.35 percent.

Repo is the rate at which RBI lends funds to commercial banks when needed. It is a tool that the central bank uses to control inflation. While there are some signs of pickup inactivity due to the staggered easing of lockdown, there is a large degree of uncertainty amid surging virus cases.

“The MPC voted unanimously to leave the policy repo rate unchanged at 4 percent and continue with the accommodative stance of monetary policy as long as necessary to revive growth, mitigate the impact of COVID-19 while ensuring that inflation remains within the target going forward,” said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.

The headline inflation is close to 6.7 percent level amid supply disruptions, beyond the comfort level of the central bank. The RBI is tasked with keeping inflation at 4 percent in the medium-term with a 2-percentage point leeway on either side.

MMRDA had widened the scope of tender to suit the Central government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Abhiyan’

By

Afternoon Voice

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October 8, 2020

According to a senior official, national companies like Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Titagarh Wagons, Medha and ABB Group, and international companies like Cosmos, Intamin and Chinese companies CRRC Corporation Ltd and BYD Co Ltd have shown interest in manufacturing the 10 rakes. CRRC and BYD were the two companies that had participated in the last bid. However, MMRDA scrapped it, stating that the firms were asking for too many changes.

This is MMRDA’s third attempt at procuring rakes. The first bid was floated in early 2019. The 10 additional rakes are crucial to improve the frequency of the monorail and attract more commuters. “The tender document has been modelled in line with Atmanirbhar Abhiyan and Make in India policy, and also the government order of July 2020, where countries sharing land borders with India have to register with the government,” said the senior MMRDA official.

After scrapping the last bid in which two Chinese companies had shown interest in manufacturing rakes for the Mumbai Monorail, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has received a good response from national and international companies in its revised tender. In July 2020, the Centre said that companies from nations that share a border with India will be barred from bidding for government contracts for goods and services until they register with the industry department. It said the decision was taken to “strengthen the defence of India and national security”.

The official, who did not wish to be named, said that MMRDA has received more than 150 queries on technical, financial and contractual clauses of the tender document. The last date for bid submission is November 3. The Mumbai Monorail is a 19.5-km corridor between Chembur and Jacob Circle. It is India’s first monorail that was inaugurated in 2014.

All about celebrity Baby bumps

By

Vaidehi Taman

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October 8, 2020

Gone are the days when pregnant women felt the need to cover up their burgeoning bellies. These days, it’s all about flaunting that tummy. Imitating the celebrities an average woman also opting for photo shoots during pregnancy. They are making it a photo event month by month. There are many photographers who made their earnings on shooting only the baby bumps in the most creative way. I used to wonder looking at these stars that show off the bump. When Serena Williams announced her pregnancy on a social media platform in April, the world was thrown by the fact that she played and won the Australian Open while pregnant. The winner of 23 grand slam single titles posted the photo on her Twitter, along with a message for her fans: “Check out my Vanity Fair Cover.

Curious me, actually searched for the cover and remained astonished. The cover, photographed, has Williams posing topless for the first time ever. She is depicted in the nude, except for the hand covering her breasts, nude underwear, and a waist chain. The 35-year-old tennis player has always looked like a miracle on the tennis court. She looked gorgeous in the video of Beyonce’s Sorry last year. And now, she looks stunning on the cover as well as inside photos of the Vanity Fair issue. We’ve been left wondering now if there is anything, she isn’t good at.

Well, when it comes to style and glamour, B-town divas know how to do it right. Even awaiting motherhood does not stop them from looking at their fabulous best. But each one has their unique way of showing off the baby bump. Some carry on with their social engagements like it is any other day while some are more flamboyant and open. Then there are some who choose to be more modest. What I always thought was the best compilation of star moms-to-be.

Women have been beauty conscious for ages, and what’s a tad bit shocking is the idea of beauty and obsession over it. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, after all. But the good thing is that with time trends are changing and for the good. For the longest time, women would hide inside their homes for their baby bumps attracted lots of eyeballs, and made them feel uncomfortable, or maybe, just thinking that they did not make them look their best. But since Bollywood and celebrities inspire others in almost all fashion trends, glad to see the changes with the time, and several celebrities are helping women – to be confident while flaunting the most beautiful phases of their lives – to embrace motherhood and flaunt the life inside them. There are many who are shedding all the inhibitions that started a lovable trend of flaunting the baby bumps. Celebrity moms are just like us when it comes to documenting their pregnancy journey.

Whether on vacation, in a photo studio for a pregnancy shoot, or just taking a selfie during lunch break, pregnant women love to strike a pose, pout their lips, and let their bellies take center stage! Taking a few snaps of her growing belly is a beautiful way to document her baby’s growth, and to always remember the pregnancy journey. They actually gave a new definition and joyful event to this entire saga.

Each woman carries differently and this most certainly doesn’t mean one is doing something wrong or not healthy. They all have healthy growing babies & some have had incredible pregnancies so far, we feel amazing & full of energy to see and read such things being women. Pregnancy is just the beginning of a life-long love affair with your child. The early weeks can be tiring and stressful, and it’s easy to feel a bit detached from your growing baby. But as your pregnancy progresses, and your bump grows, you’ll start to feel much more like a mum-to-be. When you show off and display your joy, people around too keep discussing and sharing their feelings for you. Everyone becomes part of this journey. The most stressful moments become light.

Going further let me give some suggestions to Mom-to-be that is yet not on social network, to help prepare for your new life, spend a little time bonding with your unborn baby when you can. Photo sessions are one of the most adorable ways to pamper you. It gives you a wonderful chance to sit still and spend time thinking of and talking to your baby. Ask your partner if he’d like to give you company while sharing parenthood. It may help him to share in your pregnancy more easily. No matter how big your bump, the gentle support from loved ones, and little appreciation from your friends and relatives on social networks will give you some welcome relief in the later stages of your pregnancy. These are an ideal opportunity to tone up and make new friends.

At last, your baby’s hearing is developing all the time. From about 23 weeks she can enjoy the daily soundtrack of your heartbeat and the growling of your hungry tummy. She’ll also start to hear sounds from the outside world. Hearing your voice while she’s still in the womb helps your baby feel attached to you and the world quickly once she’s born. One theory suggests that the reason your baby’s hearing is so well-developed in the womb is to help her start to bond with you even before she’s born. After birth, your newborn may love to hear your voice more than any other. And you might love to see how many likes and comments he/she received on social networks.

A picture of your baby bump on your phone or on your fridge door or on the social network is a constant reminder that your bump is home to a little person. You may well be wondering whether you’re having a girl or a boy, who so ever that might be but I am sure the loaded cuteness would be delivered at your doorsteps.

Be a Happy mom!

Mumbai Police bust TRP racket; Republic TV among 2 other regional channels to be probed

By

Afternoon Voice

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October 8, 2020

Mumbai police in a sensational revelation said to have busted a Television Rating Points (TRP) manipulation racket, adding two persons have been arrested in this case. TRP is a tool to judge which TV programmes are viewed the most and also indicates the viewers’ choice and popularity of a particular channel.

The channels allegedly indulging in the fraudulent activities include Republic TV, Fakt Marathi, and Box Cinema, and the action follows a complaint registered by the Crime Branch recently.

Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh told reporters that Republic TV channel, facing flak over its attack on Mumbai police and Maharashtra government in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, was involved in the racket. The Mumbai police crime branch, which unearthed the TRP racket, has arrested owners of two Marathi channels, for manipulating viewership ratings, the official said.

This national news channel is also involved in the TRP racket and persons responsible for this will also be arrested, whether one is director, promoter, or any other employee of the channel, the police commissioner said.

Also Read: BJP’s Nadda hits out at WB CM, says ‘No democracy left in Bengal, Banerjee losing people’s confidence’

Bank accounts of these channels are also being probed and people responsible for the TRP racket are being summoned by police for further investigation in the case, he said. “Based on these TRP ratings, advertisers pay to advertise on these channels and it is a game of thousands of crore,” Singh said.

Manipulated TRP ratings result in the miscalculated targeted audience for the advertisers, he said, adding this results in losses of hundreds of crores of rupees because of such manipulations and fake statistics of TRPs. TRP is calculated on the basis of TV channel viewership in a confidential set of households.

Singh said those involved in the racket would bribe people in these households and ask them to keep some channels switched on even when they weren’t watching or not at home. The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) releases weekly rating points for TV channels in India and its officials are also being questioned in connection with the case, he said.

There are 2,000 barometers installed in Mumbai to monitor TRPs, he said, adding BARC gave the contract to an agency called ‘Hansa’ for monitoring these barometers. The two-channel owners arrested were produced in court and Mumbai police have got their custody, he said. The arrests were made under sections 409 and 420 of IPC, he added.

“We suspect that if this was happening in Mumbai then it could be happening in other parts of the country as well,” he added. BARC is an industry body set up to design, commission, supervise and own an accurate, reliable, and timely TV audience measurement system and is guided by recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It helps provide data points to plan media spends more effectively.

Hansa filed a complaint of the TRP racket, following which an offence was registered, he said. “During the investigation, it came to light that some former employees of the agency were involved in compromising the data and they were sharing it with some television companies,” he said.

It was revealed that these persons had manipulated the sampling metering services by inducing the barometer users through periodical payments to watch particular TV channels, he said. Many people in whose homes these barometers have been installed have accepted that they were getting monetary benefit for keeping their TV sets on even when they did not watch it, the IPS officer said.

This was apparently done for “wrongful gains” of some TV channels and resulted in losses to advertisers and their agencies, he said. The statement by Arnab Goswami editor-in-chief of Republic TV said the Mumbai police chief has made false claims against it as the channel had questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case investigation.

The channel said it will file a criminal defamation case against Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. BARC has not mentioned the channel even in a single complaint, it said, adding Singh should issue an official apology and get ready to face the channel in court.

(With Agency Inputs)

BJP’s Nadda hits out at WB CM, says ‘No democracy left in Bengal, Banerjee losing people’s confidence’

By

Afternoon Voice

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October 8, 2020

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lost people’s confidence and there is no democracy left in West Bengal, the BJP said on Thursday as it hit out at the TMC supremo over clashes between saffron party workers and police during protests in Kolkata and Howrah. BJP president J P Nadda in a tweet said the party’s struggle to save the rich glory of Bengal will continue.

Parts of Kolkata and adjoining Howrah resembled a battle zone on Thursday as BJP workers and supporters clashed with police, hurling stones and blocking roads with burning tyres, to protest a string of killings of saffron party workers. “We stand with the people of Bengal despite the brazen misuse of state power by Mamata didi. Our brave BJP Yuva Morcha ‘karyakartas’ compelled her to close the Secretariat. This is an admission that she has lost public confidence,” Nadda said.

Clashes erupted at several places in the two cities in West Bengal during a march called by the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, to Nabanna, the state secretariat, when they tore down barricades, officials said. Police personnel in riot gear burst teargas shells, beat up agitators, and used water cannons to break up the protests which are still raging in Kolkata and Howrah.

Addressing Maharashtra BJP office bearers and State Executive Meeting. https://t.co/i3CEZ3MNIA

— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) October 8, 2020

“There is no democracy in West Bengal. Those who protest against the government are implicated in cases or harassed by police or murdered,” senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters at the party’s headquarters. He condemned the “barbaric treatment” of his party workers by the state police.

“I would like to say to Mamata Banerjee and her party that if they think they can stop BJP’s progress in West Bengal by lathi-charges and atrocities by the police, I assure them, they would fail in their attempts,” Prasad said. He asserted that Banerjee and her party are resorting to violence as they are losing political ground in the state and said that there is feedback from the ground that the BJP will form the next government in West Bengal.

“Is protest allowed in Mamata Banerjee’s reign? People who raise their voice against her party are killed. The only reason behind this is TMC losing their political ground in the state,” Prasad said. He said so far 115 BJP workers have been killed in the state.